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About Us

Picture Perfect Queen Anne (PPQA) is a volunteer-powered grassroots neighborhood nonprofit organization. Through the combined efforts of Queen Anne neighbors (both residents and businesses) and with funding from the Seattle Department of Neighborhoods and the Office of Economic Development, the streetscape project began revitalizing the public sidewalk area of Queen Anne Avenue N from Galer to McGraw. Our goal in 2005, as now, is a pedestrian and family-friendly, safe and vibrant main street that everyone in our community will enjoy.

Thanks to financial and volunteer support from neighbors like you, there are lovely, welcoming gardens...

Garden at the Bottom of the Galer Steps

Garden at McGraw & Queen Anne

... at the gateway entrances to our commercial core.

It wasn't always so. Back in the early 2000's, what you saw instead was lots and lots of gray.

"Before" at the Galer Steps

"Before" at McGraw & Queen Anne

Queen Anne Avenue had become a mix of broken sidewalks, faded crosswalks, littered streets, rusty signage and minimal greenery. The only attractive natural elements were the mature maple street trees, planted in the 1980’s by neighbors with inspiration and financial help from the City’s tree planting program.

In 2005/6, the newly formed Picture Perfect Queen Anne, with funding from the Department of Neighborhoods, enlisted Queen Anne resident and urban planner, Don Miles, of Zimmer, Gunsul, Frasca Partnership, to spearhead the creation of a plan for the streetscape---the public space along the six blocks of our commercial core along Queen Anne Ave between Galer and McGraw Streets.

Three community meetings were held to brainstorm design possibilities. The resulting vision became the Queen Anne Avenue Streetscape Master Plan. It reflects the community’s desire for an attractive and safe commercial core that includes:

•More gathering places with seating

•More vegetation at street level

•Public art

•Repaired, safe sidewalks with pedestrian level night lighting

•Reduced litter

•Clear signage for street names and community resources

•Human scale store fronts

Volunteers Planting at Galer

The PPQA planting beds at Galer, Boston, and McGraw were created in response to the community's request for street crossings and more natural elements.

As stewards of the Queen Anne Avenue Streetscape Master Plan, PPQA’s mission is to ensure that the Plan’s recommendations are part of all new development projects along Queen Anne Ave and that improvements we make are well maintained.

Your financial and volunteer support means that our neighborhood will continue to have a welcoming, pedestrian and family-friendly, safe and vibrant main street.